


Crossroads

by sundaeflower



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Relationship Study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 09:30:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20776346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sundaeflower/pseuds/sundaeflower
Summary: Sometimes she felt like they were living in different worlds, living different lifes. And maybe they did.





	Crossroads

When they first met there were no obvious similiarities to be found.

Max was a small child, barely reaching his shoulders and he was tall, and strong, and _mean_. She didn‘t know how to react when he threw things, or yelled at her. He kept raging on and on while she simply stood there, paralyzing fear gripping her bones, and tried to molt into the ground right where she‘d firmly planted her feet in his room. In his life. How dare she.

_Get the hell out of my room. _

_Who allowed you to be my sister?_

_I don‘t want you here._

_I hate you._

When they first met he was meant to shake her hand, greet her as the new family member, the new sister. And she could read in his eyes that he didn‘t want a sister. Or family. He just wanted to run. Ghosts of love, lost and forgotten, haunted him behind his stormy blue eyes threatening to suck her into a maelstrom the size of California.

She bowed her head and bit her lip. Tasting the blood that would never pump through his veins.

.

The sun burnt hot. The sky was clear. Seagulls circled the deserted beach.

She placed her first skateboard right beside where she settled into the silky sand as she watched him ride wave after wave.

„There is something we have in common.“

„And what would that be?“

„We both like to surf. You know, you with the waves and I‘m with my skateboard and stuff. I just don‘t like waves. They‘re… unsteady, I guess. Unpredictable.“

She cracked a smile. He didn‘t. She never saw him smile when she was around, but it was fine. She could smile for the both of them. Maybe it was bright enough to drown out the dark places in his heart she knew nothing about because he never talked about important things to her.

When he split her skateboard in half for the first time after an extremly bad fight she was patient; taped it together real nice for him to see like she expected some sort of prize she thought she could win by giving him time (and love).

.

Every few weeks he would wear new bruises like changing clothes. She didn‘t knew what was actually going on because she was never home when it happened, but he got into brawls as if it was a blood sport.

When she turned thirteen they moved to Hawkins, Indiana. Neil claimed it was a birthday gift because she always complained about the heavy traffic and she needed less sandy subsoil to pratice her skating skills.

She did not believe that. Neither did Billy.

Well, he didn‘t believe _her_ when she told him that‘s not what she actually wanted and that Neil just made things up. Maybe it was just a punishment for Billy for stepping out of line again though she never mentioned anything.

The lines of who blamed who and for what reason soon became blurry. She didn‘t take jack shit from him anymore because she was sick of taking the blame.

Sometimes she felt like they were living in different worlds, living different lifes. And maybe they did. Maybe there was a gap somewhere between them that no bridge could close.

Susan seemed indifferent to what Neil did to Billy, always the dutiful wife trading her free will for the family peace (what peace?), and Max simply refused to care anymore (didn‘t he deserve a little bit of pain, too?).

.

That night at the Byers house was a complete game changer.

He left her alone after that. She hated the way he fell back into his old habit of ignoring her.

Sometimes she wished he would piss her off just so she could talk back. But now, whenever she met his gaze, there was a glimpse of respect. A promise of better days.

And that was worth more than any apology he could give her.

The bruises began to fade with time and she was caught by surprise when he unceremoniously shoved a brand new skateboard in her favorite color into her arms when they collided in the hallway by accident.

Later that night she noticed that the skateboard label only produced in California.


End file.
